Ford Fusion to be reimagined as a Subaru Outback rival?

The current Fusion sedan will reportedly be retired but the name will live on.

Ford is reportedly planning to retire the Fusion sedan but keep the name alive for a Subaru Outback rival.

The sedan is expected to be among the last of Ford's cars to continue rolling off the assembly line after the Focus, Taurus and Fiesta end production this year and in 2019. The relatively young Fusion will outlast the others by just a few years before being discontinued early in the 2020s.

Sources have told Bloomberg the Fusion name will live on after the sedan disappears. It will allegedly be affixed to a high-roofed "sport wagon" hatchback, positioned as a direct rival to the Subaru Outback.

The taller Fusion wagon is said to be built upon the same platform architecture that currently underpins the sedan, extending the previous investment into Ford's era of near-total focus on SUVs and pickups.

"We'll likely continue to use the name because of its awareness, positive imagery and value with consumers," said Ford spokesman Mike Levine, without explicitly confirming details of the upcoming wagon.